Anime Club Girl (ACG): How did you get your start as a voice actress?

LC: I got my start in anime, way back when. Steven Foster was doing Those Who Hunt Elves; I had a couple episodes just doing a small part. After that, there wasn’t anything for about three years. Around that time, an audition came through my talent agency for Neo Ranga. I can only assume there must have been a mad need for voices, because to my knowledge that hasn’t happened again. But I happened to get my part in Neo Ranga and through that I met Don Rush and when he was having auditions for Full Metal Panic! he asked me to come in and read for Kaname and that was it. That’s really how it got started. I totally think that God needed me to go to ADV, because like I said I don’t think there’s ever been another audition through a talent agency since. It was kind of a weird thing, how that happened. I think it was meant to be.

ACG: So, how’s it feel to be on the other side of the recording booth?

LC: I think it’s a total blast. I think in the beginning it can feel sort of lonely and intimidating because here you are, in this little sound booth, with two people looking at you through the glass. I think when you are unsure of yourself it can be kind of nerve racking. But once you get used to it and accept it for what it is, it becomes a space that you can pretty much do whatever you need or want to do to create a performance. I think it’s a place of great freedom. I look at is the place that I’ve lived for the last two years. I’ve spent a lot of time there.

 ACG: How do you prepare for your roles?

LC: I prepare in different ways. For some roles I do some research. I did a little research for Azumanga Daioh, which freaked me out a bit. I happened upon some message board where they were talking about how bad the dub was bound to be. I talked to Don about it because I knew Azumanga Daioh was a highly anticipated title. I was also really excited because I wasn’t playing a little girl. I got to be cast as something I hadn’t gotten to play up to that point, which was Yukari, the bipolar teacher. And that was awesome. I was glad I did the research beforehand and I had a great time playing the role.

So some shows I do some research, some shows I need to approach more from a vocal standpoint to make sure I’m really warmed up. Some shows I like to play certain kinds of music beforehand. I’m really affected by music, I love music. So that’s what I do in the theatre world as well. I generally like to make a little soundtrack for myself and listen to it before I go in for rehearsal or a performance. These are often songs that put me in the mood to play the part.

 ACG: What role was the most challenging?

LC: Sashi from Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi was very challenging. First off, I was being asked to portray a young boy which is a stretch on my vocal range. Then on top of that, Sashi goes from one character to another and I have to yell a lot in various episodes, doing Sashi as a sci-fi character, Sashi as a 1930s detective character. So I’m basically playing one character that plays many other characters. It was layers upon layers. That really had to be the most challenging role.

 ACG: Is there a character that you feel the most connected with?

LC: I feel connected to different characters for different reasons. Kanami isn’t that far off from me. Ran has a little bit of me, the way I’d like to be on days when I know I’m not a sweet as people think I am. Actually, the one right now that I’m connecting with the most is Duck from Princess Tutu. I’m identifying a lot with her because I love her story. Maybe that’s because I moved around a lot when growing up. I think we all, to an extent, struggle with identity issues. I love her jumping between the duck, the girl and the princess and figuring out who she is and trying to figure out which aspect of her is the one that the prince is in love with; All of those things. I love how clumsy she is and how brave she is too. When she’s standing up to Fakir, she’s this totally different little person. As I continue recording this show, she continues to surprise and delight me. I love playing her!

 ACG: Could you tell us more about Duck?

LC: Duck is a gorgeous character, just gorgeous. Something that I like about this story is the idea that you’re not quite sure if she’s simply a pawn of the story teller. Is she this magical little duck plucked out of the water to be a pawn of the manic Drosselmeyer or is she something more? I feel that there’s something really strong and magical as she’s put to the test. She’s also clumsy, which reminds me of me. When I was young, I was tiny and all knees and I never felt like I knew where I was going or where I belonged. I lived very much in story land and always had crushes on guys that didn’t know I existed. So me and Duck, tight!

 ACG: What other aspects about Princess Tutu really stand out to you?

LC: It’s beautiful, the animation is beautiful and the score is beautiful; you can’t go wrong with Tchaikovsky. And the story; despite how cute the heroine is, the story gets dark. I read a review online that talked about how the characters aren’t good or bad, their lives just kind of unravel and their ambitions and purposes take on a whole different meaning as the story goes along. I really like that! I feel it unfolds in a really natural and interesting way. And Duck rules! She rocks! She’s a very precious person.

ACG: Have you ever taken a ballet class?

LC: Not for real. I took twirling when I was little and took gymnastics and stuff like that. When I was working on my masters program at LSU, I was exposed to everything. It was a great program because they exposed you to so much! So, for a semester, I was in a ballet class. I got my ballet groove on with 8 other classmates. It was a lot of fun. I can do this though…and I do it sometimes in the booth.

(Luci proceeds to give me a little ballet move or two!) I bring my little ballet shows in the booth with me while recording, and do my moves from time to time to entertain Jin and Henry!

(Jin is the director of Princess Tutu and Henry is his engineer)

ACG: Are there any ' Hollywood' actors/actresses that you admire?

LC: I have always admired Sally Field; I know some people would think that she’s more old school, and I really hate to call her old school. I admire actors out in Hollywood, but I just don’t put them on a pedestal. I think it’s kind of weird that everyone’s so obsessed with knowing about them. You know, talent is talent. It doesn’t live in California. A lot of people that have acting careers out there aren’t any more talented than the people I work with everyday. I’ve had a really good time living and working in Houston.

Back to Sally Field, the first car I bought myself; I called Sally. I’m a total dork. I also sat on a fish named Miguel. I always had these cars that the seat wouldn’t go up high enough so I had to sit on fish pillows, and the fish was named Miguel.

ACG: Last question. This one might be hard! Out of all your roles, is there a line or moment that you'd consider the funniest or just a personal favorite?

LC: Oh that’s hard. That’s so hard. Ran, from SuperGals, has said so many things; some of which are probably unrepeatable. She and Yukari from Azumanga Daioh.

And of course, there’s Sashi, from Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi. He says something, and being a girl, I don’t get to say this kind of thing often. In the animation, Sashi is peeing off into space and he says, “wow, there’s just something so sci-fi about pissing off into space.” And I never thought I would ever say anything like that in my life. That was pretty cool, and I was just thinking that they don’t prepare you for something like that in graduate school!